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Cougars encounter first challenges in conference play UNIVERSITY
Khator to discuss enrollment, goals at Fall Address President Khator will give her annual Fall Address today from 10 a.m. to noon at the Moores Opera House. All students, faculty and staff are welcome. Assistant Director of Freshman Admissions Christian Backstrom said she will most likely highlight the University’s current status in exceeding goals for increased enrollment and raised academic requirements for incoming freshmen. She will also discuss challenges, visions and goals for the upcoming year. — Zahra Ahmed
CAMPUS
Walk in the Dark campus tour to search for security risks The UH Student Government Association, Department of Public Safety, Parking and Transportation services and Plant Operations encourage all students, faculty and staff to attend the 2011 Walk in the Dark. Participants will gather tonight beginning at 8 p.m. at Lynn Eusan Park. The walk consists of a campus twilight tour intended to find poorlylit areas that may pose safety risks. The event will begin at 4:30 p.m. with live music, giveaways, interactive activities, food and beverages. The Drug Enforcement Administration will be attending National Night Out in conjunction with this year’s National Prescription Drug Take Back initiative. A DEA agent will be collecting unwanted, unused or expired medications and everyone is encouraged to participate. For more information, contact Ginger Walker at gkwalker@uh.edu or 713-743-0583. — Zahra Ahmed
ADMINISTRATION
University offices announce Assistant Dean of Students DuJuan E. Smith was named assistant dean of students Monday. Smith will be in charge of UH student disciplinary policies and procedures, and will provide support for the UH Conduct Assessment and Response Team. He will also help students with any issues involving their success. Smith previously served as the Coordinator of Judicial Affairs at Moraine Valley Community College and was the student trustee on the Northern Illinois University Board of Trustees while he was earning his master’s degree in education. — Cougar News Services
October 4, 2011
Oil companies pillage for profit
Issue 25, Volume 77
ON CAMPUS
Knowles family graces campus Allen Le
THE DAILY COUGAR The UH Friends of Women’s Studies organization recognized Tina Knowles, best known as Beyoncé Knowles’ mother, as part of their 15th annual “The Living Archives” series in the M.D. Anderson Library on Monday. The building synonymous with peaceful studying and reserved students turned into absolute chaos with extra security once word spread that a surprise appearance by Beyoncé herself was here on campus in support of her mother. However, the main attention inside the Rockwell Pavilion was exclusively dedicated and focused on the senior Knowles as she was interviewed by a journalist from the Houston Chronicle and recorded in front of a live audience. “The Living Archives” series, going on throughout the Fall ARCHIVES continues on page 6
Tina and Beyoncé Knowles made a visit to campus on Tuesday, much to the delight of students. The elder Knowles was recorded in an interview for “The Living Archives,” a series sponsored by the Friends of Women’s Studies. | Yvette Dávila/The Daily Cougar
STUDENT GOVERNMENT
Cigarettes have uncertain future Senator’s proposal would enforce smoking ban; protestors disagree Joshua Mann
THE DAILY COUGAR Students showed up in force to last Wednesday’s Student Government Association meeting to protest an upcoming bill that will ban smoking on campus. The 31 member group included both smokers and non-smokers. About half of the students asked the senate to block the bill during the time allotted to student speeches. The other half offered support in the form of applause from the back of the room. The bill had not yet been submitted for review by the Senate, said Speaker of the Senate Reyes Ramirez. UH student Michael McHugh argued that that wasn’t a reason for the students to leave the meeting without speaking. “Students who go to this University reserve the right to address their grievances at a public forum,” McHugh said. “Potentially their opinions and their voices can influence what happens in committee before the bill even makes it out.” The students argued smoking was a right
the school shouldn’t take away. “I know it’s a lifestyle choice,” McHugh said. “And it’s a personal choice. I just don’t know why we need to ban smoking. It’s telling some of our students who pay tuition, ‘you can’t do this.’ “I think it’s better to enforce existing code; right now we have people that smoke in the UC, so that isn’t being enforced. If we can’t enforce it in the UC, how can we enforce it everywhere on campus?” According to students, smoking provides a sense of community. Students would end up smoking in the dorms rather than outside in designated areas, and students who are bothered by the smoke should seek out less serious solutions, according to speakers. After they had finished speaking, most of the students left the meeting without waiting to hear the senators’ response. “No matter how much I hate smoking, I respect your right to do it. What’s disappointing to me (is) 90 percent of you will leave thinking that you weren’t heard,” Senator Melanie Pang said later in the meeting. “I just want you to know that we are trying our best to represent you, but just as much as you want your voice to be heard, we want our voices to be heard too.” Engineering Senator Stuhr also encouraged
students to stick around for the meetings. “To the 30 people in the back of the room, thanks for coming and voicing your opinion, but stick around so we can talk back with you,” he said. “There may be other things going on here that concern you.” It may be too early to judge what the constituents think about the bill, though. “I’ve got four weeks to figure that out,” Stuhr said. “You can’t base your vote on the students that show up at a meeting, and you can’t base your vote on what you think personally. “I vote based on what my constituents say; if I don’t have a constituent’s opinion, then I generally abstain from the vote,” he said. The next SGA meeting will take place at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday at the UC Cougar Den. news@thedailycougar.com
EVENT What: SGA Meeting When: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 12 Where: UC Cougar Den